Donate to Train Lifesaving First Responders

Dear supporters,

Every year, 1.35 million people die from road traffic injuries, with 90% of these deaths occurring in low- and middle-income countries, yet robust emergency medical services (EMS) are often lacking. More than 90% of the African population has no access to 9-1-1 or EMS, exacerbating injuries and preventable deaths. Our 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Lay First Responders (LFR) International, developed a scalable solution to this deficit by training local motorcycle taxi transportation providers as lay first responders (LFRs), tested and demonstrating success across seven countries. By leveraging existing community networks, we create cost-effective EMS in settings that would not otherwise be able to afford traditional ambulance-driven EMS.

In 2024, we secured a $200,000 USAID grant through the Development Innovation Ventures (DIV) program to compare the efficacy of online, digitally-delivered training versus in-person LFR training in Sierra Leone—a major step toward making our validated training course mainstream and scaling access for resource-limited populations. With this funding, we also planned to deploy a mobile dispatch application to increase coordination of emergency care in sub-Saharan Africa.

Unfortunately, as a result of the President's recent Executive Order and closure of the USAID office, all USAID funding has been suspended indefinitely, affecting our ongoing work in Sierra Leone examining a novel dispatch application for first responder coordination and our ability to employ several local staff members. Despite Congress having already approved and allocated USAID's grants, there is no guarantee the appropriated funds will ever be released, given the indefinite suspension. Having been granted our Stage 1 DIV grant in April, we had only recently completed our first milestone and received just our first of 13 tranches of total funding.

Without your support, our ability to train responders and sustain our operations is at risk.

How You Can Help

Donate & Support First Responders – Help equip first responders to provide lifesaving care in their communities while advancing digital training platforms and mobile dispatch systems.

When you donate, 100% of your contribution goes directly towards establishing LFR International-facilitated prehospital care systems in low- and middle-income countries. And right now, your donation will have double the impact - every dollar will be matched 1:1 by an LFR Board Member, meaning your support goes twice as far in saving lives.

Donation Tiers (*Figures sourced from LFR International research on cost-effectiveness):

Connect Us With Potential Supporters – Introduce us to donors, organizations, or programs that align with our mission and would be interested in supporting sustainable, community-driven EMS solutions.